ROLL out the red carpet and polish your Oscar frock – Tamworth is to play host to the UK's largest international film festival.

No stranger to the glitz of a movie premiere after the comedy Crust was launched here in 2002 – the town could be welcoming star names from across the globe after being chosen as a location for next summer's event.

With the man behind the six-day film showcase attracting Tinseltown talent such as Julia Roberts and Richard Gere to his previous festivals, star-spotting in Lower Gungate could even become 2009's hottest hobby.